With the laying out of Townships 1, 2, 3 and 4 (Tyringham, New
Marlborough, Sandisfield and Becket) in June 1737, a portion of unincorporated land to the east between the three towns and Glasgow (Blandford) was set aside as Province Land. It later became the District of Bethlehem, and the unincorporated town of Loudon. Persons residing there included Mrs. Return Holcomb, Lieutenant David Black, Benjamin Brewer, James Stuff, Ely Strickland and David Kimble. Young Colonel Henry Knox noted in his diary while transporting Ticonderoga's artillery to Boston in January of 1776 that "10th (Jan.) - reached No. 1 after having climbed mountains which we might almost have seen all the Kingdoms of the earth; llth (Jan.) - went 12 miles through the Green Woods to Blandford". The District of Bethlehem was annexed to Loudon in 1809, and the next year was renamed Otis after Harrison Gray Otis.

Farming, of course, was the principal occupation, but by mid-century several saw mills, a rake factory, a furniture shop, carriage shop and two ironworks existed.